What are effective ways to incorporate functional training into skiing?

1 Assess your goals and needs

Before you start any functional training program, you need to assess your goals and needs as a skier. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are the specific skills and challenges that you want to improve or overcome? How often and how long do you ski? How fit are you currently? These questions will help you design a functional training program that suits your level, style, and objectives.

2 Choose exercises that target multiple muscles and joints

One of the key principles of functional training is to choose exercises that target multiple muscles and joints at the same time, rather than isolating them. This way, you can train your body to work as a unit, rather than as separate parts. Some examples of functional exercises for skiing are squats, lunges, step-ups, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, planks, and mountain climbers. These exercises will strengthen your legs, core, back, and arms, which are essential for skiing.

3 Add balance and stability elements

Another important aspect of functional training for skiing is to add balance and stability elements to your exercises. This will challenge your proprioception, which is your ability to sense and control your body position and movement in space. Balance and stability are crucial for skiing, as you need to adapt to changing terrain, speed, and direction. You can add balance and stability elements to your exercises by using unstable surfaces, such as a BOSU ball, a balance board, or a foam roller. You can also perform single-leg variations of your exercises, such as single-leg squats, lunges, or deadlifts.

4 Incorporate agility and power drills

The final component of functional training for skiing is to incorporate agility and power drills into your program. Agility and power are the skills that allow you to perform explosive movements, such as jumping, turning, and stopping. They also help you prevent injuries by improving your reaction time and joint stability. Some examples of agility and power drills for skiing are lateral skater jumps, box jumps, cone drills, sprint intervals, and plyometric push-ups. These drills will enhance your speed, coordination, and explosiveness on the slopes.

5 Adjust your frequency and intensity

Depending on your goals and needs, you may need to adjust the frequency and intensity of your functional training program for skiing. Generally, you should aim to perform functional training at least twice a week, with at least 48 hours of rest between sessions. You should also vary the number of sets, reps, and weights of your exercises, as well as the rest periods and tempo. This will prevent boredom and plateaus, and stimulate your muscles and nervous system in different ways. You should also monitor your recovery and performance, and modify your program accordingly.

6 Combine functional training with other modalities

Functional training is not the only type of exercise that can benefit your skiing. You should also combine functional training with other modalities, such as cardio, flexibility, and mobility. Cardio will improve your aerobic capacity and endurance, which are vital for skiing. Flexibility and mobility will increase your range of motion and reduce your risk of injury. You can perform cardio, flexibility, and mobility exercises on your non-functional training days, or as a warm-up or cool-down for your functional training sessions.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?